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Getting Caller ID Name to appear on Obi110 with Google Voice

Started by xtwister161, April 17, 2015, 10:43:29 AM

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Taoman

QuoteI believe that the answer to that question is my universal adage, "you [don't] get what you [don't] pay for".

I tested the Simonics gateway recently, and in my personal experience, the CNAM service he's using is really rudimentary.  It often has no data, or stale data, or it substitutes a generic city and/or state, based on the area code and prefix.  High-quality CNAM does cost money for each data base dip.  If users find it sufficient, so be it, but I didn't think it was useful.

I doubt you tested it very long then. It has been working great for me (and many others on this and other forums).

CNAM is a crapshoot these days depending on which database gets queried. As a lark, I went and looked at my Callcentric call log. The last call I received today was from 305-713-1010. The CNAM that Callcentric gave me for that number was "Marathon, FL."

I then did a CNAM lookup on the same number at PrivacyStar and the CNAM was "Customer Servic."

I then did a CNAM lookup on the same number at CallWithUs using their North American number lookup. Their CNAM for that number was "Customer Servic."

I then spoofed my outgoing CID from CallWithUs (using the same number) and called my GV number. The CNAM that the Simonics gateway gave me was "Customer Servic."

So what does this prove? Not much except your beloved Callcentric also gives some "rudimentary" CNAM data on occasion just like every other carrier.


SteveInWA

Note that I was not comparing Simonics' CNAM with Callcentric CNAM.  I was simply answering LTN's question, how can he do it for essentially nothing?  Since you brought up Callcentric, the same answer applies:  they are giving it away, so they can't be spending much money at all to acquire it, and my same axiom applies.

I agree that CNAM, in general, has become rather crappy (leaving off the "shoot" part of your description).  Post-deregulation, there are just too many players, and too many database providers.  Some carriers and ITSPs do real-time queries of carrier LIDBs via the SS7 or IP networks, and some just rely on whatever they get from low-cost or free databases.  The latter seem to range from acceptably useful to mostly junk.  Callcentric didn't offer CNAM for a long time, because offering good CNAM was expensive.  They eventually offered it, but in my own experience, it's probably just as good or bad as Simonics.  It's definitely not carrier-grade.

This service is the best I've found:  http://www.cidname.com/

Taoman

Quote from: SteveInWA on October 05, 2015, 07:06:50 PM
Note that I was not comparing Simonics' CNAM with Callcentric CNAM. 
Thanks for pointing that out. I missed that.

Quote from: SteveInWACallcentric didn't offer CNAM for a long time, because offering good CNAM was expensive.  They eventually offered it, but in my own experience, it's probably just as good or bad as Simonics.  It's definitely not carrier-grade.
So in your opinion, is CWU's North American number lookup "carrier-grade?" I have found no difference in those numbers I have checked at CWU and then thru the Simonics gateway.

AFAIK, there is no single authoritative source for CNAM lookups....... hence my use of the word "crapshoot." CNAM lookup is "like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

lrosenman

i've been using bulkvs.com ($0.009/lookup) with good results.

I also, however, load my google contacts into an Asterisk server and use that as the first preference.


inhops

SteveInWA,
Yes, I did get a free (had to pay the $1.50 setup + $1.50 monthly 911 fees) 914 number from Callcentric which is the one I have configured on SP2. 

And yes, I am testing it by calling the OBi phone (SP1 GV & SP2 Callcentric) which is forwarded in Google Voice to the NY Callcentric number only - Google Chat forwarding is UNchecked.  I am calling from my cell phone which has my name as the CallerID.  I know that there is a CallerID associated with the number (I set it a long time ago on my Sprint account) because it does correctly show up on my phone when I call the 914 Callcentric number directly.  But callerID is blank when calling to the GV number.

I also tried swapping SP1/SP2 such that SP2 is GV and SP1 Callcentric.  Same result.  Incoming & Outgoing calls work fine but still no incoming caller id showing up.

I have created a trouble ticket with Callcentric and they have been very willing to help.  I sent them screenshots of my GV & Callcentric setups in OBiTalk.  But now they say that they do not "see any Caller ID options" in the OBiTalk configurations.  Are there any caller ID settings in the OBiTalk configurations?  I didn't see any.  GRRRR.

Would I have better success using another Caller ID solution?  Maybe Simon Telephonics?


SteveInWA

I'm afraid I don't know what is causing your caller ID name issue.  It would be helpful if you could try calling from some other telephone (ideally, a land line) that has a known-good CNAM entry.

As Taoman and I discussed, CNAM is flaky, period.  If Callcentric can figure it out for you, great.  If you set up your Callcentric account using the OBiTALK portal, then the default settings it applied would automatically enable CNAM.  If you set it up locally, you may want to try deleting SP2, and then setting it up again via the OBiTALK portal, by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and selecting the other service providers link, which will then let you select Callcentric.

Aside from that, perhaps somebody else will have a brainstorm.  And, yes, if this is important to you, by all means feel free to try the Simonics alternative.

Taoman

Quote from: inhops on October 05, 2015, 04:54:26 PM

I checked the Call History and I do see a call coming into Terminal ID = SP2 with Pear Name correct - I am assuming this is when I called the 914 Callcentric number directly.  But the call coming into Terminal ID = GoogleVoice1 has Peer Name blank.  How do I get incoming calls to come into SP2?  

Since CNAM is correct when calling your CC DID directly we can "assume" the problem is not with Callcentric.

What you describe above should not be happening. If you only have Callcentric checked in your GV settings and not Chat then all calls to your GV number should be forwarded to your CC line.

Have you tried calling your GV number from a variety of different numbers with the same results? Do the numbers you are calling from have Google Contact entries?

Have you looked at your "Groups & Circles" settings in your GV settings?

inhops

OK.  Maybe it was just a timing issue.  I made no changes since last night but we appear to be getting incoming CallerID working correctly now.  So my advice to anyone reading this post is - Give it 24 hours.  I have also been communicating with Callcentric via a Trouble Ticket.  So maybe they did something to our Callcentric account to get it to work.  But I am a happy camper now!!!  Thanks for your help SteveInWA and Taoman!!!

So, my current configuration which is working is: Callcentric Account on SP1 & Google Voice on SP2.  The way I got this configuration was to delete (garbage can) both SP1 & SP2 settings.  Expert Config & then Revert to OBiTalk (maybe redundant, but I wanted to clear out all settings).  Service Provider Set-Up for Callcentric - automatically uses SP1.  Then Google Voice Set-up which sets it on SP2.  SP1/Callcentric has Primary Line for Outgoing Calls UNchecked & Incoming Calls Will Ring On Phone 1 checked.  SP2/Google Voice has Primary Line for Outgoing Calls Phone 1 checked also.  Callcentric CNAM enabled.  Google Voice forwards to Callcentric line only.

And this will work just fine... until I decide I need to mess with it again!!!


UD2012

Hello Everyone,

I recently added GV to my Obitalk account. I got Anveo for the 911 service. I would like the caller ID with name as described. I'm not exactly the most tech knowledgeable person, but it seems like the Simonics option here seems to be the easiest. Where can I find instructions on how to set this up? Also, what are the disadvantages to doing this? I checked out Simonics websites, but I'm not exactly getting how this works.

Thanks!

drgeoff

Quote from: UD2012 on January 17, 2016, 02:07:58 PM
I checked out Simonics websites, but I'm not exactly getting how this works.
Follow the instructions at https://simonics.com/gw/.  You don't have to know how it works any more than most people can drive a car or use a computer without knowing how those work.